Part 2: Case Studies: 19 th and 20 th Centuries. Nov : Ahmadu Bamba, the Muridiyya and French Colonialism

Transcription

1 Part 2: Case Studies: 19 th and 20 th Centuries Nov : Ahmadu Bamba, the Muridiyya and French Colonialism Nov. 26 Ahmadu Bamba and the Birth of Muridism Nov. 28 The Murides and French Colonialism Nov. 30 Document Discussion

2 Ahmadu Bamba Bamba di geej Gu tàbbi geej Fekk fa geej Gu ne ko ngiij Bamba is an Ocean Who melted into an Ocean And found therein an Ocean Who blended with Him Xarnubi (Sheikh Moussa Ka, a Wolof poet) [cited in Abdoul Aziz Mbacke, Jihad for Peace, Resources ]

3 Story of Murid Brotherhood (late 19 th -20 th centuries) familiar in many ways yet ultimately different: - Ahmadu Bamba emerged in situation similar to Uthman dan Fodio, Mohamed Ahmed (al-mahdi) - Murids (learners, disciples) faced issues similar to Sudanese Mahdists: - first conquest by European power (in this case French) - then incorporation in colonial state But unlike Fulani, Mahdist jihads no physical resistance

4 - like Mahdi s son (Abd al-rahman, worked on policy of accommodation but without millenarianism - opposite: created order to live, grow, thrive in westernized modern world - unlike Mahdists: was successful -has been argued that Murid sufi order offers answer to contemporary contradictions of Islam vs democracy, secularism

5 [Robinson] Situates Senegal physically/historically: - bounded to north by Senegal river: gateway to region once controlled by Almoravids, bordering Sahara desert - Islam present since 9th c.: fabled conversion King of Takrur, attracted to power of religion to bring rain after prolonged drought - Islam dominant in region since 16th c - Main ethnic groups: Fulani ( relatives of those in Nigeria, Muslim); Wolof (largely non-muslim)

6 In spite of widespread acceptance Islam: - no state comparable to Sokoto ever succeeded in region many small scale movements, 17 th -19 th centuries - (Robinson) likens small states to Gobir, target of dan Fodio s initial jihad: - Muslim leader, scholarly ulama but enduring presence many questionable Islamic practices

7 Touba: Murid Capital

8 Immediate context: French area commercial interest Saint Louis and hinterland - kingdom Kajoor (Kayor/Cayor): Muslim ruler (Dammel) studied seriously with local Shaykh - attempted to impose stricter laws, surrounded himself with learned clerics - one was Ahmadu Bamba s Father

9 Dammel challenged by royal soldiers: exercising power to exploit peasants, benefit from slave trade - kingdom dependent on slavery, Atlantic slave trade - late 19 th c.: French pressure to end slave trade, shift economy of kingdom to cash crops peanuts - requested permission to build railway to interior - where Mahdists had resisted British doing same in Egypt-Sudan, Dammel agreed to French encroachment in Senegal

10 Railroad passed through kingdom 1885: - cut across peanut growing region, opened kingdom to French merchants, soldiers - Dammel lost ability to effectively control interior of kingdom, as well as its economy - belatedly resisted; cost him his life (1886) Robinson dates beginning of colonial rule to his death and that date.

11 Foundational myth establishing birth of Murid tariqa: - popular story has Ahmed Bamba meeting Dammel of Kayor on eve of [the latter s] death - important symbolism: - understood locally as Dammel formally transferring power to Amadu Bamba - the former being secular, military, the latter religious, pacifist Historical evidence proves meeting never took place what is important is people s belief in the message

12 Senegal in time of Ahadu Bamba Ahmadu Bamba: - from clerical marabout ** family: - ancestors belonged to Qadiriyya tariqa (southern Mauritania; same tariqa as Uthman dan Fodio) - initiated into brotherhood through family ** French word for cleric, derived from Al-moravid (became accepted terminology throughout French West Africa)

13 - studied with different Qadiri Shaykhs - also with others,including Tijani scholars (unusual) - ultimately received initiation from Shaikh Sidiyya (Qadiriyya) Ahmadu Bamba c only known photo

14 Not satisfied that established brotherhoods adequately addressed challenges 1880s -1890s: - troubled times : French incursions (military, economic) - also religious concerns: - educators seen as putting quest for prestige, wealth over duty to dispense knowledge for the sake of God [ Educating the Murid, Resources]

15 Most significant: rejected Tijani position of resistance to Colonial ( Infidel ) Rule* - believed pursuit of both power and piety not possible: -made choice for latter - convinced Father to leave Dammel s court * reference lecture Nov. 19, Sudan under Colonial Rule

16 Ahmadu Bamba: successor to father - moved outside realm of court - took following back to village of origin in Bawol - comparable to hijra - but no military jihad to follow - taught followers, developed his own spirituality, studied hadiths - wrote poetry, books: scholar in traditional sense

17 Cheikh Ahmadu Bamba (on horseback; n.d.) French title: West Africa arrival of a Great Marabout

18 Amadu Bamba interested in issue of relations between rulers and ruled : - observed what he saw as corrupt in the court of Dammel (and his father) - studied earlier Muslim scholars; famous 12 th c. al- Ghazali spoke to issue:

19 although obedience is owed to the unjust prince, one must not condone his injustice the devout Muslim should avoid the court and company of the unjust ruler, and should rebuke him, by words if he can safely do so, by silence if words might encourage rebellion Influence on Ahmadu Bamba evident: for example (he wrote) Those who frequent them [the unjust rulers] because of their wealth, share in the corruption which is the source of their power.

20 Concept of Sufism shaped by desire to reconcile mysticism, sharia and involvement in society: - distanced himself from extreme asceticism - advocated involvement sufi Shaykh in life of community - system of education: to instill teachings of Islam and create Muslims who served their community [echoed of Sokoto Caliphate, especially role of Nana Asma u, although content of teachings differed]

21 Bamba s Mother Mame Diarra Bousso: also seen as inspirational figure in brotherhood - role not as well known as Nana Asma u but continued reverence even today suggests it was considerable Overall: Muridism seen as a necessary response to a situation of crisis

22 The Teachings: Acquisition of knowledge without practice was a waste of time - science (in sufi sense) and action (life involvement) were twin foundations of virtuous life - elements underpinned long-term pedagogy - Ahmadu Bamba designed system of lifelong education geared towards transformation of character and behaviour [of murids]

23 Duties of students to be respected in accordance with goals: - to combat ignorance - to be useful to humanity - to enrich religious sciences - to act and live in accordance with the teachings of the sciences Warning: those seeking sciences for the sake of engaging in polemics or for prestige and honour will earn nothing but punishment from God.

24 Challenge: followers of many backgrounds - some had learning : Islamic understanding, potential marabouts - few initial followers were from learned families - most (like Hausa peasantry in Sokoto), had little knowledge of Islam, were illiterate/semi-illiterate: - former slaves - state/royal soldiers - peasants - women and children

25 Literature also talks of displaced people: - migrant labourers, attracted by work in peanut basin (region) - ready to learn, obedient Ahmadu Bamba needed to engage all of the above!

26 Pedagogy developed from 1884: - emphasized work, religious practices rather than ideology - organized system around knowledge schools, Qur anic schools and working schools - personalized instruction for disciples with special needs

27 Bamba provided specialized, customized training to disciples with different intellectual, physical abilities: - working schools tarbiyya more populated than other schools in early days of Murīdiyya: - majority of people who first came to Bamba had already passed schooling age - movement became known for emphasis on work

28 Role of ajami, development of Wolofal : - books, letters, poems written in Arabic - but Bamba used Wolof proverbs, popular sayings in discussion to simplify foreign Islamic concepts, make them understandable - then transcribed in Wolofal for wider dissemination

29 Wolofal : arabic script, Wolof language - particularly important in Tarbiyya Schools - senior disciples consciously developed Wolofal over time Genuine conversion of Wolof masses could be achieved only through writing that could be sung or read out loud to illiterate village audiences. [reference discussion of popularizing Islam in local languages, Sokoto Caliphate]

30 Wolofal continued to evolve, becoming medium of written communication in all Murīd communities: -dissemination Amadu Bamba s teachings - writing of praise, satirical, and polemical poetry, eulogies - record keeping, communication of other secular information

31 In creating Tarbiyya Schools, encouraging use of Wolofal as educational tool, Amadu Bamba understood pedagogical and cultural benefits of using Wolof to reach common people. His (own) classical Arabic poems and the Wolofal literature constituted bedrock of educational materials used by Murīd to educate, transmit Murīd ethos to future generations. [see example of an Arabic poem, read by contemporary muridiyya and transcribed in Latin, Ahmad Bamba s Poetry, Resources ]

32 Example of Wolofal Text [see next slide For translation only one page shown]

33 (English translation of larger document in wolofal ): The Leader [Amadu Bamba] used to look for quiet places, far from big towns, and build schools there. If you came to submit to him, if you were a learned person, he would send you to the knowledge schools, where you would teach. If you possessed quranic knowledge, he would send you to quranic schools where you would learn and teach. If you were at a schooling age, he would send you to knowledge schools or Quranic schools where you would study at your level.

34 Amadu Bamba said: I instruct all disciples : (1) to cultivate knowledge, courtesy, and discipline. I order every disciple who relies on me (2) to keep studying al-qur ān, the best of the books

35 [from Ngom, Amadu Bamba s Pedagogy ] If your brain could not hold these two things, he would send you to the working school where you would be educated and taught all types of work. If you were beyond the working age or could not do it, he would find something useful that brought divine reward and ask you to do it.

36 [no one ever stayed with Boroom Tuubaa without doing something]: He said in Masāliku l Jinān that what those who passed away want the most is to have the opportunity to come back to this world for any short duration so that they may perform some additional work that would benefit them when they return.

37 [from Educating the Murid, Cheikh Anta Babou, Resources] Education occupies a central place in Amadu Bamba's thought and practices. The importance that Amadu Bamba ascribed to education reflected his belief in the crucial role of Islamic knowledge for the achievement of social change and the preservation of positive social values.

38 The system of education that he developed was a response to both the contemporary socio-political situation in the increasingly dysfunctional Wolof states that he judged detestable, and the deterioration of the classical system of education that was no longer fulfilling its societal function.

39 [Murid ethos] allowed the cohesion and continuity of the brotherhood. This ethos that is shaped by values such as solidarity, self reliance, rootedness in the local Islamic culture, submission to the shaikh and distrust of temporal power-holders contributed to the development of a counterculture. That is a set of values, practices, a cultural code and a worldview that provide structure and meaning to the disciples' lives.

40 This counter-culture appeared as a viable alternative to traditional court culture and French cultural imperialism and provided a basis of passive resistance to colonial rule.